Dating service hosts transit event

You can't spell love without "L." For riders looking to make that special connection, a dating service is hosting a mixer for singles who live off the Brown and Red Lines.

Me So Far, founded two years ago by South Loop resident Lakshmi Rengarajan, is holding an event at 6 p.m., Nov. 28 at Sushi Taiyo, 58 E. Ontario St.

About 50 people typically attend themed Me So Far events, Rengarajan said. A dozen of these participants will address the crowd with a five-minute presentation based on questions and prompts Rengarajan provides.

One question may be about the participant's favorite transit stop, Rengarajan said. Another may be about someone special in his/her life.

The deadline to be one of these so-called "talkers" is Friday.

After the presentations, participants mingle for an hour-and-a-half with cocktails. Rengarajan said the presentations typically jumpstart conversations.

"It's like the ultimate bar experience," said Rengarajan, 36. "It's easy to meet people but it's hard to get to know people."

Rengarajan said she chose the transit theme after a relationship where she lived off the northern Red Line and her boyfriend lived off the Blue Line in Wicker Park. She realized the commute was geographically undesirable.

She picked the Red Line for this month's event because "it's like the central nerve of the public transportation system." The Brown Line is an easy connection too.

Next year she would like to host a Red and Blue Line event for the Fourth of July.

Rengarajan said she began hosting events in February 2011. Besides the transit event, she will be throwing mixers catered to nerds and the over-40 crowd.

Tickets to this month's event are available at mesofar.net. Tickets for women have sold out but a woman can bring a male friend and pay $60 to participate. Tickets for men are still available for $35.